Returning to Writing (Pt. 2)
Another recent writing project
9 July, 2018 // in The Coffeehouse Cleric // by Alex Rowe
This week’s post is part two of my return to writing after a few months away (read part one here). Before I start with new posts, however, I am taking this opportunity to share some posts I have written elsewhere. Over the May-June period I wrote a series of six blogs for the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity (LICC), an organisation “committed to empowering Christians and church leaders to make a difference for Christ in our Monday to Saturday lives.” What a tagline!
The series was titled “Encounters with Jesus.” For each post I wrote a 400-word reflection on the encounter a person had with Jesus, based on the story of Jesus’ life given in John’s Gospel. The six people were: Nicodemus (John 3), the Samaritan woman (John 4), the man born blind (John 9), Pilate (John 18), Jesus’ mother at the cross (John 19), and Simon Peter (John 21). Essentially, I try to feel my way into the story and imagine what it would have been like for these six people to have met and encountered Jesus. From there, I offer a short and practical application of what we can learn from them. It was a pleasure to work with Nell Goddard, a good friend and writer for LICC. Without her, these posts wouldn’t be anywhere near as clear or concise.
Nicodemus
“It’s easy for all of us to misunderstand Jesus, perhaps especially those of us who have been Christians for a long time. In such situations, what is sometimes required is a challenge, perhaps even a complete overhaul of what we thought we knew. This is what we can learn from Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus…”
The Samaritan Woman
“…But ultimately, like the Samaritan woman, if we embrace Jesus and allow the discomfort we might end up surprised. First, though by Jesus we are entirely known, when we come to him we are also entirely forgiven and invited to experience wholeness.
Secondly, our encounter with Jesus might take us to unexpected places; into difficult situations or hostile environments which we once wanted to avoid but now see in a fresh light, allowing us to witness in them. When we encounter Jesus, we can go to those places — perhaps tough relationships, or stressful workplaces — with a transformed perspective…”
The Man Born Blind
“…If you are a Christian, you too have a testimony. You too have encountered Jesus and had your life transformed as a result. You might not have been physically blind, like the man in our story, but you may have received healing and transformation nonetheless. Perhaps, for instance, prior to encountering Jesus you were ‘blind’ to those around you, stressed and self-absorbed, but now having met him can take better notice and care of your colleagues, your friends and relatives, or your spouse and children…”
Pilate
“Pilate’s question [‘what is truth?’] is tantalisingly ambiguous. We can imagine the tone of his voice in lots of different ways. Try saying those three words for yourself, either in your head or aloud, and you’ll see what I mean. What do you think Pilate sounded like? Was there sarcasm in his voice? Did he sound sceptical? Or was he being earnest, truly searching for answers?
What is truth? Every single one of us will ask ourselves this question at some point in our lives. Most of us already ask it regularly, as do the people we meet and interact with on a daily basis….”
Jesus’ Mother at the Cross
“We know that Mary was confident in Jesus’ abilities from early on in his earthly ministry: at a wedding in Cana, when the wine ran out, Mary went straight to Jesus (John 2). Indeed, Mary had nurtured him as he grew from infant to child, had watched him pass into adolescence and mature into adulthood. Like any mother who has loved and raised a child, Mary would have known best what Jesus was like and what he was capable of.
And yet here she is now, looking on helplessly as her son is suspended and suffocating on a cross…”
Simon Peter
“…Jesus, in the first century and in the twenty-first century, does not limit his invitation [to become a disciple] only to the ‘best of the best,’ but to anyone who hears his call and chooses to follow him. His earliest disciples were a ragtag bunch of oddballs and rejects, full of faults and flaws: often we can feel that way too…”
Thank you for reading this post. If you liked it, please do share it with your friends and family. The Coffeehouse Cleric is a weekly blog on spirituality and simple living by Alex Rowe.
